Congo Poll Results Spark More Than a Run-Off
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The results of the Democratic Republic of Congo's first free elections in 40 years were announced Sunday night on television, sparking some violence across the nation's capital, Kinshasa, and portending a run-off election among the top two candidates.
Joseph Kabila, who is the son of former rebel leader Laurent Kabila and took power upon his father's assassination in 2001, received nearly 45% of the vote and will face off against Jean-Pierre Bemba, a vice president in the country's transitional power-sharing government. Kabila has strong support in his native Swahili-speaking eastern part of the country, though he is thought by many in the western capital city of Kinshasa to be a foreign-backed stooge. Bemba, who is also a one-time rebel leader, enjoys strong support in Kinshasa and seems to have been the largest single benefactor of opposition to Kabila in the Lingala-speaking western part of the country. The two men are the most prominent figures in the government that emerged from a 2003 power-sharing agreement to end decades of civil stife and dictatorial rule. These elections represent the culmination of that agreement and are seen by many as best chance to cement a lasting peace in the Congo. Many feared that an outright Kabila victory in the first round would have sparked renewed violence across the country, and some analysts believe the run-off scenario was the most favorable for the massive central African country that is rich in natural resources and contains enough hydro-electric potential to light the entire continent of Africa. A 200-member observer mission from the Southern African Development Community described the July 30 polls as peaceful, credible, and transparent. The run-off election is now scheduled for October 29, with the swearing-in of the country's first democratically elected president in 40 years expected December 10. The shooting broke out after results were announced Sunday evening. News reports say the battles continued past 10 pm local time and were sparked after police fired several shots into the air in a part of the city close to Bemba's headquarters and the independent electoral commission offices. A soldier guarding Bemba was killed in clashes with one of Kabila's guards, a Bemba spokesperson said. By Monday morning Kinshasa's usually busy streets were largely deserted, though tensions remained high and most shops remained closed. New violence was said to have erupted Monday as witnesses said soldiers loyal to Kabila opened fire around a house where UN officials and ambassadors were meeting with Bemba. The United Nations says six people lost their lives in Monday's gun battle, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The following news reports were drawn on in compiling this brief: - Congo-Kinshasa: Run-Off Called As Polls Fail to Separate Kabila And Bemba (Southern Africa News Features) - Congo-Kinshasa: Run-Off Between Kabila And Bemba in Presidential Election (UN Mission in the Democratc Republic of the Congo) - Streets of Kinshasa Deserted After Violent Clash (South African Broadcasting Corporation) - Kabila Faces Run-off as Congo Poll Turns Violent (Business Day, South Africa) - Gunbattle Traps Foreign Envoys in Congo Capital (Reuters UK) |
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